Clause 1 - Offences to which the Act applies
Northern Ireland (Offences) Bill
12:15 pm
Peter Robinson (Belfast East, DUP)
The hon. Lady should spend a bit more time reading the legislation. It is not just for those who have gone outside the UK; it will benefit those who are not on the run at all. If she does nothing else, she should read the letter from the Superintendents Association. I will pass it on to her. The letter’s first point is that the legislation has been broadened to include those who were never on the run. Even the most cursory reading of the legislation would have made it clear to the hon. Lady that the legislation goes well beyond those who are outside the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom and that it would benefit those who have not been charged but who remain in Northern Ireland. It is, in fact, a get-out-of-jail card for anybody who before 10 April 1998 committed an offence that was related to terrorism and the affairs of Northern Ireland, not just for those who have fled the country.
In closing, may I say that offences of the kind that have been committed in Northern Ireland are so serious that the House should be very careful before it lends its hand to such a Bill? It would find itself in the most absurd position if it attempted to achieve an equivalence between those who are terrorists—who sought to destroy our society—and those in Northern Ireland who attempted to defend society, but made an error of judgment. The new clause, by providing a distinction between the two in separate provisions, would further distance the security forces from those who are the terrorists’ representatives. I urge the Committee to accept it.